Num
1:1-5 (NIV) The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Desert of
Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the
Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: 2 "Take a census of the whole
Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one
by one. 3 You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel
twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army. 4 One man from each
tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you. 5 These are the names of
the men who are to assist you:
from
Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; ...
NOTE: Numbers begins
and ends with a census. Why does God
specify by name the men who were to do
the counting, rather than just let Moses choose anyone? I think the men were men
of integrity who would provide an accurate accounting. The men were from each
tribe so that no tribe could argue that they were unfairly counted. The job was
an exceeding large task. It is not an easy thing to count from 30 to 75
thousand people and to record their ancestry by clan and family. It would take
some organization as well. So, these men not only exhibited integrity but were
skilled for the accomplishment of the job. It is a good thing for a man to
pursue his vocation with integrity and with skill. I can't think of a better
way to define the requirements of work than those two words.
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